"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." -- Isaiah 60:1-3

Israel is called to rise up from the state of want and brokenness they have known and to show the world the glory of God as experienced in a people.

Life can get monotonous at times... people living a pattern of meaningless activities while waiting for something big to happen.  What they don't realize is that something big has already happened. 

It is there, just beneath the surface of your spirit... you know it's there... you feel the subtle heat coming from an ember within you that is ready to burst into a fire of passion-filled life of impact.  It's there.  You just need to give it some air and some space and some fuel to catch.  Don't smother it and snuff it out.  Don't dampen it with your brooding.  And don't starve it to death.  Let it catch, and you will find a life of meaning and purpose that is powered by the Holy Spirit.  So fuel it with prayer and study and by sharing God's love and grace with as many as you can... fan the flame... that's it.  You're on your way to rising up.  It can be a new dawn for you, too.

Readings:  Isaiah 60:1-62:5; Phillipians 1:27-2:18; Psalm 72:1-20; Proverbs 24:11-12

"Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come." -- Psalm 71:18

The Psalmist remembers his youth.  He recounts in the verses prior:  "Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds."  As he looks back, he remembers the lessons taught to him.  He remembers the place of God in his life.  He remembers the life he knew in God... and so how appropriate to keep God in his retirement plan-- that he might live to declare to the next generation the great things God has done.  How many generations later do we find ourselves from this writing?  It appears that the story just might have legs. 

Readings:  Isaiah 57:14-59:21; Philippians 1:1-26; Psalm 71:1-24; Proverbs 24:9-10

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. -- Isaiah 55:8

We must always remember the message of this verse.  As our ability to manipulate our reality increases, so does our hubris.  And yet, there will always be One from which we came who can breathe us out of existence.  We can be so large in our own mind, but we are so infinitesimally small... let us remain a humble people.  Remember who and whose you are...

Readings:  Isaiah 54:1-57:13; Ephesians 6:1-24; Psalm 70:1-5; Proverbs 24:8

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!' Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy." -- Isaiah 52:7

We see a turn happening in the communication given to the people of Israel... Isaiah has become a prophet of hope... there is a repeating call throughout this part of the book: "Awake!"...

Are we awake to the presence of God in our midst?  Does the landscape of his creation move us in a way that reminds us of the greatness of God?  Does the mind go to a place of majesty when we consider the work of his hand?

Does the world then see the beauty of God in and through the people of God?  Does the world hear proclamations of peace and good tidings and salvation? 

How will you see God in the world today?  How will you show God to the world today?

Readings:  Isaiah 51:1-53:12; Ephesians 5:1-33; Psalm 69:19-36; Proverbs 24:7

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." -- Ephesians 4:31-32

To live a healthy and whole life, we must live with a lightness of sorts that comes from being free from emotional burdens and baggage.  So much of that heaviness comes in the form of anger and resentment and holding grudges against one another.  If you live your life seeking revenge or even just focusing on the ways you have been wronged by others, you hand over to them power that they do not deserve.  You can take that power for yourself only when you free yourself from the hold the emotions have on you.  Life is short.  Don't let ill will steal it away.

Readings:  Isaiah 48:12-50:11; Ephesians 4:17-32; Psalm 69:1-18; Proverbs 24:5-6

"Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." -- Ephesians 4:1-16

So what is the "then" in this passage?  When is it that we will all finally grow up?  The "then" is found just prior in vv 11-13:

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

Then he finishes later with:

"From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."

My what a vision... what would the politicians do in such a world?

Readings:  Isaiah 45:11-48:11; Ephesians 4:1-16; Psalm 68:19-35; Proverbs 24:3-4

"Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, 'What are you making?' Does your work say, 'He has no hands'?" -- Isaiah 45:9

We come made with so many questions... and not enough answers.  It seems at times that our great human quest is one that will not rest until we ourselves become like gods.  What begins as an innocent survey of wonder as we look around at what God has created, turns to a more focused interest in all that exists that is unseen... whether that be in the form of galaxies, the surface of mars, and other extraplanetary phenomenon... or the space found among molecules at the cellular level.  Then it turns from observation to manipulation.  We observe DNA, we decode DNA, now we are beginning to manipulate DNA.  Before long, we will be developing designer babies, growing replacement organs in petrie dishes, and much more.  We are taking the building blocks of life and are assembling new life.

Let's not forget along the way though, who we are.  We are assemblers, not creators.  We are taking that which God has already created and fashioning new forms from it. 

Can you creat DNA from nothing?  I can't.  God did.

Readings:  Isaiah 43:14-45:10; Ephesians 3:1-21; Psalm 68:1-18; Proverbs 24:1-2